The journey of grief is a unique path for each of us. One thing that is common, however, is that facing the holidays without a cherished loved one is especially difficult. Holidays are clearly some of the roughest terrain we navigate after a loss.

Holidays mark the passage of time in our lives, and they generally represent time spent with family. When you have lost someone special, your world loses its celebratory qualities, and holidays only seem to magnify the loss.

Let’s be honest, grief is an unwanted journey, but rather than avoiding the feelings of grief, you need to lean into them. Recognizing and expressing the strong emotions associated with grief is an integral part of the healing process. For many, experiencing the journey of grief is actually the way out of the pain of a lost loved one. Yet, you must be mindful not to build a relationship to your pain and thereby get yourself stuck somewhere within the middle of the journey. This is where the bereavement support services offered by Serenity Hospice & Home can be very beneficial. They are available to anyone within the Serenity service area of Boone, Carroll, DeKalb, Lee, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties, plus the towns of Ohio and Walnut in Bureau County.